Three more Iranians arrested over Bangkok bombings

Kate Hodal in Bangkok
guardian.co.uk, Monday 27 February 2012 06.59 GMT

Thai authorities have detained three more Iranians over the 14 February Bangkok blasts after tracking down a mobile phone that was used on the day of the bombings to regularly contact two suspects currently in police custody.

The national police spokesman Major General Piya Uthayo said police found two men and one woman on Sunday after raiding an apartment in the Nasa Vegas Tower, the same building where another suspect in the case, Leila Rohani, lived before returning to Tehran. Rohani is alleged to have rented the house in Ekkamai that was occupied by three Iranian men. A cache of explosives there went off by accident on Valentine's Day.

One of those detained on Monday was Madani Seyed Mehrded, 33, who was tracked down from mobile phone records. Police say he was in regular contact on the day of the bombings with Saied Moradi, 28, the Iranian national who blew off his own legs after attempting to throw an explosive at police, and Muhammad Khazaei, 42, who was caught trying to board a flight at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport.

While it is unclear what his exact role or involvement was in the case, Mehrded was allegedly waiting for the other suspects in front of the Israeli embassy on the day of the explosions, the Bangkok Post reported.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]